Silhouette
by Thai Tea Addict
Summary: Taken as payment by an infamous crime family, they are forced into playing the role of "big brother" for the heir of the Echizen crime syndicate. Only Echizen Ryoma isn't exactly the child they had first suspected him to be, and the real player in this charade of a family might not be any of them... AU, Dark, BL


**A/N**: A New Year, a new story! d=(´▽｀)=b

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Prince of Tennis.

**Pairings**: Honestly, it is going to get a little crazy.

-OT3 (TezuFujiRyo).

-Golden, InuKai, MomoAn, others...

**Warnings**: _This fic is intended to be **DARK**._

It is expected to contain the following, whether it is _implied_ or_ explicitly shown_: BL (Boys Love), Moresomes (OT3), violence, crime syndicates, prostitution, drug and alcohol use, sexual deviancy, profanity... Prepare your hearts!

* * *

**Chapter One**

_Strive_

* * *

_Mid-August_

The heat was nigh-unbearable. Even in the shadowed halls of the hallway, Fuji Syuusuke could feel it choking him; sweat trickled from the nape of his neck and into the collar of his shirt. His shirt was clinging uncomfortably to him in the sweltering humidity, but he hardly noticed as he obediently followed the man walking before him. Even in this heat, it still felt as if ice was flowing in his veins with every step he took.

The man glanced back at him - something he did every now and then, as if Fuji would be foolish enough to even try escaping - before stopping in front of a room and sliding open the door. It was a large room, approximately 15 tatami mats wide, and as expected it was sparsely decorated. A long table was set in the center, four cushions set to each long side with one cushion at the head.

Only two of those cushions were occupied. At the head sat a middle-aged man with light stubble and scruffy, dark brown hair. He grinned at Fuji as the boy was ushered inside the room, motioning to the seat on his left-hand side. The seat on his right was occupied by another teen with a fly-away mane of light brown hair and sharp hazel eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses.

Fuji met the other boy's eyes only briefly as he took his seat demurely, not daring to speak as the head of the table eyed him appraisingly. Fuji kept his eyes on the table, waiting with bated breath to reply if he was asked a question.

_Be polite- Don't do anything rash- Don't irritate them-_

Fuji had drilled a list of respectable conduct into his mind the moment he'd been forcefully escorted out of his home. He'd even kept up the appearance of not being afraid for the sake of his little brother - he didn't want Yuuta to cry, after all. It would be a terrible if that was the last thing he saw of his darling younger brother.

Fuji Yoshito owed a lot of money. When his fledgling business hadn't taken off, he'd taken loans from a shady man who had eventually sold him over to the presiding crime group of the area - the Echizen group. They were a successful yakuza group that had taken over a great deal of territory and had about a 20 thousand people strong membership.

When Yoshito couldn't make the payments, members had shown up at their doorstep to turn their home upside-down. At some point or another, they had gone through the family's records and discovered that Fuji Syuusuke - the eldest son - was quite the gifted student. He'd only recently graduated from his first year in senior high school and breezed through his first semester of his second year before the yakuza found him.

He was brought to this mansion of a residence shortly after. With the way they had eyed him, Fuji had feared the worst; when they decided to take him as a form of payment, Fuji had come to expect the worst. It wouldn't be the first time his good looks had gotten him into such situations. The presence of the other teen, however - also very good-looking - made him wonder if they were considering doing training in bulk.

The door to the room slid open again and a red-headed boy was pushed inside. Wide blue eyes stared at the three other males in the room, slowly beginning to fill with tears - but to the boy's credit, he made not a single noise. The man seemed amused at the reaction, waving him over to the seat next to Fuji. The redhead hurried to it, sitting down with a bowed head and trying to roughly brush away his tears with his arm.

A few minutes later, the door opened and a boy with a close-cropped hair and protruding bangs stepped inside. He glanced them over before looking away with a defeated aura, moving slowly over to the seat the man had indicated, looking up only when the redhead couldn't choke down a sniffle.

Another boy was shoved in moments later; a tall youth with spiky hair and square-framed glasses. His face was blank and his posture was perfect as he took his seat, looking straight ahead as if he weren't even there to begin with. The boy with light brown hair that came in after him had slumped shoulders and sad eyes, and he took his seat without a sound or glance at the other occupants.

Two other boys were pushed in a few minutes later, both wearing matching scowls but their eyes and postures were those of the intimidated. They took the two last open seats and kept their heads appropriately bowed.

It was at this point Fuji began to wonder why exactly they had been gathered here. It was obvious the only yakuza in the room was the man at the head of the table, but the other males looked as if they had been forced to come in just like he had been. Prostitution was one thing, but Fuji didn't think some of the boys had quite the right..._looks_for that sort of business.

"And that's everyone!" the man crooned, delighted. His cheery voice made all the youths flinch and look up at him with wide eyes but he continued on uncaringly. "I must say - you lot are quite a nice collection. Let's do introductions, shall we? Here, I'll even start: Echizen Nanjiroh, Head of the Echizen Group, awesome father and total stud. Next!"

Nanjiroh's expectant eyes fell on the boy to his right. The bespectacled youth straightened imperceptibly, his face remaining a smooth stone mask, "Tezuka Kunimitsu."

Nanjiroh rose an eyebrow at the elapsed silence. Tezuka shifted uncomfortably, continuing on at the look. "I'm 16 years old, a junior in high school, and I was Student Council President."

Attention turned to the next boy. "I-I'm Oishi Syuuichirou. I'm a junior in high school too, and," Oishi looked seconds away from fainting, "I-I like fish?"

Nanjiroh snickered but motioned for the next boy to go.

"Inui Sadaharu. Junior in high school. I like collecting data."

"I'm Kawamura Takashi. Junior in high school. I like making sushi."

Across the table now, "Momoshirou Takeshi. I'm a freshman in high school, and I like, uh, eating..."

"Kaidoh Kaoru, fsssh. I'm a freshman and I like training."

"K-Kikumaru Eiji," the redhead managed out. "I'm a junior in high school... I can do acrobatics."

"Fuji Syuusuke. I'm also a junior. I like spicy food," Fuji smiled guilelessly.

Nanjiroh clapped, grin wide and amused. "Very good, boys! Now that we all know each other, I bet you're all curious as to why you're here. I'm going to make this as short and sweet as possible - I'm a busy man, you know? - so listen up!"

Nanjiroh leaned over, grin mischevious. "All of you are a gift to my darling little son~!" he mock-whispered. Fuji couldn't help his flinch; he knew what a 'gift' could imply. Was the man's sexual tastes so expansive that it required a host of men?

Nanjiroh threw back his head with a laugh at the reaction, "Don't get any funny ideas, boys! My little Ryoma is only eleven years old - so if any of you even dare to look at him in _that way_," Nanjiroh leaned back in, face wiped clean of any jest and eyes darkening in bloodlust. "I will gouge your eyes out, strip you of your flesh, and cut you into pieces while you're still alive and conscious."

Almost immediately, the smile was back on. "See, my cute son recently asked for something I didn't think I could give him - an older brother. How could I do that? I'm no time wizard! But then I realized - it didn't need to be his biological brother, right? No, you see, my little Ryoma made a set list of criteria he wanted in a brother..."

Nanjiroh nodded in Tezuka's direction, "Someone cool and level-headed."

His eyes turned to Fuji, "Clever and charismatic."

To Oishi: "But gentle."

"Attractive and sociable," Kikumaru.

"Smart but not snobbish," Inui.

"Kind but not a pushover," Kawamura.

"Fun and athletic," Momoshirou.

"And intimidating but loyal," Kaidoh.

Nanjiroh laughed, "Such a long list! And does any one person like that really exist? Of course not - so I decided instead of one older brother, why not several? You guys cover all the qualities my son wants in an older brother and I get to levy some of the debt owed to me by your families."

The man called over a stiff figure situated in the corner of the room that Fuji hadn't noticed. A tall, lumbering man with a shaved head came forward, holding a stack of documents which he passed over to Nanjiroh. The scruffy-haired man pawed through them, glancing each sheet over before passing them down among the teens.

"These are your contracts. If you agree to become my son's 'big brothers', I will clear the debt owed by your family to the Echizen group," Nanjiroh began. The boys' attentions shot to the older man, all of their eyes wide in shock.

Nanjiroh grinned - a smile that held a distinct edge. "Of course, you boys will never be able to see your families again. No contact - not even a glimpse, you hear me? You will be Ryoma's big brothers and _only _Ryoma's big brothers. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Ryoma is the only family you have. You must be absolutely devoted to my Ryoma - body, mind, soul. You will live together, eat together, help him with his homework, play with him, dote on him - whatever he needs a big brother for, you will do and you will do so eagerly."

He drummed his fingers along the table, leaning forward to catch their eyes. "Until the day you die, you will be his big brothers. If there is even a hint of betrayal, if any of you so much as hurt him intentionally - you will be given no second chances. I will kill your families, I will kill your friends, and then I will kill you. Is that understood, boys?"

Terrified nods were the only reply.

A wide grin split Nanjiroh's lips again, "Great! Once you sign these, you can spend the rest of the weekend relaxing and getting ready - you get to meet your new little brother on Monday!"

* * *

Tezuka didn't quite know what he had been expecting. Perhaps he imagined just a miniature-version of Nanjiroh, all jovial smiles and carelessly-cruel words. Someone who exuded an aura of sadistic enjoyment with features hardened by a terrifying lifestyle.

What he got instead was a kid.

The boy was short - shorter than Tezuka was at that age, he thought. He had hair so dark it reflected back emerald in the sunlight, with large eyes the color of gold; fitting, for someone whose life seemed to revolve around greed. His skin was lightly-tanned, his features soft, boyish - but cute. He looked..._normal_.

"Seishounen, meet your new brothers!" Nanjiroh introduced happily, one hand on the child's shoulder as he gestured grandly towards the teens. They formed a semi-circle facing the Echizen pair, each trying to look as big-brother-ish as possible. Most of them were smiling - Kikumaru and Oishi, for once, without tears - with the exception of Kaidoh and Tezuka. Kaidoh seemed to believe his role was that of the 'scary brother who is only nice to the little brother', while Tezuka couldn't really muster up a natural smile.

"It's so nice to meet you, Ryoma," Fuji said, stepping forward - thus breaking the strained silence that fell over the group as the boy evaluated each teen in turn. Golden eyes snapped over to Fuji, wariness practically radiating from the younger male's posture as the slender brunet stepped closer. "I'm Syuusuke - fourth oldest, in accordance to our birthdays. I made something for you!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, the teen produced a small bag of green-colored cookies. While the wrapping was perfectly styled and quietly pretty, there was something...ominous...about the cookies. Ryoma openly stared at them in trepidation.

"Hey, isn't that color a little weird?" Momoshirou suddenly interjected. "What flavor is that supposed to be?"

"Wasabi," Fuji answered breezily.

"_Wasabi_!" Oishi, Kikumaru, and Kawamura echoed loudly in horror.

"I also make wasabi cakes, wasabi cupcakes, wasabi pie, wasabi-"

"Why is everything wasabi?"

Fuji pouted, turning to the other teens. "But wasabi is a really good flavor!"

_This guy is a freak! _The sentiment was unanimously decided between the teens.

"I don't like wasabi," Ryoma stated. "I like Ponta."

Fuji turned back to the boy, eyes still closed but mouth set in a faux-thoughtful frown. "Ponta-flavored cookies? Those don't sound too good..."

"Better than wasabi-flavored!" Momo defended.

"Alright, boys, settle down," Nanjiroh chuckled. Ryoma took Fuji's proffered gift anyway, eyeing them dubiously before stuffing the small bag into his pockets.

"Seishounen, why don't you give your brothers a tour of the house? They need to know where the rooms are," Nanjiroh suggested brightly. "Daddy has to go back to work~!"

Ryoma glared over at the man, turning away with a small grunt. "Don't refer to yourself in the third person, Oyaji - you just sound stupid."

"Seishooouneeeen~!" Nanjiroh whined pitifully.

"Go away already!"

"My son is so cruel~!" Nanjiroh mock-sobbed, turning away dramatically as he moved past the group of boys. "Arai-kun and the others will be around to keep watch, so you'll be nice and safe! Daddy loves you, seishounen!"

Ryoma scoffed as he trudged inside the house, being followed by the teens. All of them understood the underlying threat in Nanjiroh's words: men are watching every centimeter of the perimeter, so there was no escape. Don't try anything stupid.

Once Nanjiroh was escorted off the premises and into the car, Fuji and the others felt a bit more relaxed. Unlike the mansion where they were first gathered, this house was a smaller size - but still large, especially in a sprawling metropolis like Tokyo. It was surprisingly Western-style, two stories tall with a yard wide enough to fit a tennis court.

Ryoma gave them a dry tour, pointing out what they passed on the way to their bedrooms. The kitchen was wide, easily able to fit over ten people, with a dining room sectioned off to the side with a large table and matching chairs. The appliances were stainless steel and state-of-the-art, seemingly still untouched. They passed two living rooms, one bathroom, and what looked to be a combination of a lounge room and study as they moved towards the stairs.

"There's only five bedrooms, so you guys have to double-up," Ryoma explained curtly as they crested the top step. The hallway was spacious but otherwise bare, the only color being the deep red rugs that ran from one end to the other. The ceiling lights seemed to beam off the stark white walls, making it seem more like a prison.

_But isn't that what this really is? _Fuji mused.

Ryoma stopped at the first door on the right, opening it to allow the inside into view. The room was set up almost dorm room style; the beds were full-sized, each set in opposite corners on tall legs. The one on the right side had black sheets and white pillows, with a matching book case, desk, and the barest hints of decoration - such as a rug at the side of the bed and a digital clock on the nightstand. The left side was decorated in almost the exact same way, except the colors were inversed; white sheets, black pillows, matching decor. There was a suitcase atop each bed, ready for unpacking.

"This is for Takashi-niisan and Sadaharu-niisan," Ryoma said.

Inui and Kawamura obediently filed inside. After little deliberation, they decided who got which bed and started to go through their stuff to settle themselves in. Ryoma turned back down the hall, going to the other side and opening the next door. The room was set up exactly the same way, down to the last color detail.

"Kaoru-niisan and Takeshi-niisan," Ryoma called out.

It continued like this down the hall; Kikumaru and Oishi in the next room, then Fuji and Tezuka near the end. All the teens poked their heads out of their rooms when they realized Ryoma was done assigning them.

Ryoma motioned to the last door, "This is my room. You have to knock and wait for me to call you in, though," Ryoma told them seriously.

"Is Ochibi's room like our's?" Kikumaru spoke up timidly.

Ryoma blinked, seemingly surprised by the nickname. Before Kikumaru could hurriedly take it back though, a smirk broke through on the boy's lips as he cocked his head. "Why don't you come see, Eiji-niisan?"

The room was as wide as their's, only one entire wall was covered in a black mirror. On the other side was a full-sized bed with dark blue sheets and a white bed frame, with a matching bleached-white carpet. A black desk was set off to the side, complete with a lamp and what looked to be a few school textbooks, accompanied by a matching roller chair. The room was otherwise void of decorations and appliances, save for a digital clock next to the bed.

Atop the bed was a lounging feline, Himalayan in breed; it peered at them as they came in, mewling softly and standing up on its legs. It was obviously well-taken care of, the fur looking soft and shiny, but it moved about with the stiffness of old age.

"Oyaji says we can decorate our rooms with whatever we want," Ryoma told them. He made his way over to his cat, stroking the fur softly. "This is Karupin," he introduced, smiling at the animal.

Kikumaru was the first to move forward; curious, for a boy who hadn't stopped crying the entire weekend through. Fuji had to applaud the boy's ability to act. "So cute, nya~!" the redhead cooed to the feline, petting the animal's head softly with a wide smile.

"I've had her since I was three," Ryoma stated. Karupin meowed again before hopping off the bed and sashaying out the door, past the huddle of teens crowded into the room. Ryoma watched her go with a small frown, golden eyes lingering as the cat grew more distant. "The veterinarian says she has arthritis. Dad says we might have to put her to sleep soon."

The boy was obviously upset about this. This time, it was Inui to get the first word in: "In some cases, it is a mercy to end the animal's suffering," the tall teen said in a bland tone. He adjusted his glasses when Ryoma's eyes snapped to him. "However, there are medications available nowadays for animals with arthritis. It may not be perfect, but I'm sure Karupin can live more comfortably with these remedies."

Ryoma blinked, cocking his head. "I didn't know they had arthritis meds for pets."

"They do!" Oishi put in brightly. "I had a dog once with arthritis. I just put a couple pills in his food every day and he got along just fine."

"We should pick some up when we go shopping for our room decor," Takashi suggested mildly.

Tezuka nodded in agreement, "We'll go shopping tomorrow, then. Aside from a few decoration, this place has little entertainment to offer," he stated. Even though they had talked little as a group during the few days they were left alone before meeting their "new little brother," they'd still had a discussion to more or less understand their upcoming roles. Tezuka had been discovered to be the eldest, and they'd agreed that a big-brother-like theme was to respect the eldest one. The boy did have the natural aura of a leader, really, so it wasn't a hard act to play.

"Let's get some sports gear, too!" Momo added in cheerfully. "Staying active is important to growing boys, it really is!"

"Oh, is the kitchen stocked?" Takashi mused, although it was mostly to himself. He was already shuffling out of the room. "I'll cook dinner tonight, assuming we have anything here to cook..."

"We still need to unpack," Kaidoh added gruffly. He eyed Ryoma for a moment, then bravely ruffled the younger boy's hair before striding out. Ryoma touched his abused mane looking mildly confused, but this was short-lived when Momo grabbed him and pulled him close for a brief noogie.

"I'm going to be your favorite big brother!" Momo vowed teasingly, laughing as he scampered out at Ryoma's affronted look. Oishi murmured something about helping Takashi in the kitchen, and he was followed out by Kikumaru after the redhead pulled Ryoma into a brief but smothering hug. Inui was muttering a list of necessary inventory as he trailed out, fingers twitching as if he were missing something. Tezuka left to go finish unpacking, Fuji following him after casually reminding Ryoma not to eat the cookies until after he ate his dinner.

Once they were safely settled back into their room, Fuji shut the door softly before turning to look at his new roommate. Tezuka was mechanically unpacking his suitcase, not even giving Fuji a glance as the room settled into silence.

"_Aniki_," Fuji called out, the bitter tone of sarcasm permeating this one utterance. Tezuka didn't bat an eye, although he glanced in Fuji's direction with an inscrutable look.

"Just testing it out," Fuji laughed softly.

Tezuka's face remained expressionless - but somehow, Fuji could sense the distaste. He understood the sentiment whole-heartedly.

* * *

Takashi regarded the food with a discerning eye. As it turned out, the kitchen was fully-stocked and ready for use. As the son of a sushi chef, he was well-prepared in the fine art of preparing food - but he could readily admit that he was still untrained when it came to non-sushi meals. Still, he'd seen his mother do it enough times, so hopefully it wouldn't be too hard...

His heart twisted in his chest as he began to dice up the vegetables the way he'd seen his mother do so many times. He'd never be taught by the strict-but-kind hand of his father, never reciprocate the gentle, warm hug of his doting mother; he'd been sold into some sort of strange roleplay now.

The Kawamura Sushi restaurant had been losing profit steadily for years now, and it never occurred to Takashi just how he was able to live so comfortably when business was so terrible. When he'd graduated junior high, he'd caught wind of their financial troubles from the furious, late-night arguments between his parents - but he'd still been unprepared for that ominous knock on their door and what lurked on the other side.

"Ah - are you making curry?"

Takashi flinched, turning startled eyes to the other teen hovering around the kitchen. Oishi was looking over the gathered ingredients with a kind - if distant - look on his face. They had rarely talked in the last two days, as Inui and Fuji had done the most to initiate talks among their little group. Still, Takashi could tell that the other male was every bit as kind and gentle as his demeanor belied.

"Yeah," Takashi answered with a small, polite smile. "It's not great, but I don't really know what he likes. But you can never go wrong with curry, right?"

Oishi chuckled good-naturedly, "It's a safe bet, I suppose. Did you need any help?"

"You can chop up the chicken, if you want."

"Alright."

* * *

Their first meal together was at 7:30 in the evening. Inui had argued that meals together would solidify the feeling of family and cement the idea that they were brothers to Ryoma, so they'd agreed to eat as a family with Ryoma present whenever possible.

"Chicken curry," Oishi said pleasantly, setting a full plate in front of every boy seated at the table. There were five chairs on each long side of the table; Ryoma had taken the center seat on one side. Momo had plopped himself on the boy's immediate left, to Fuji's inner irritation. Kikumaru had managed to get the seat on Ryoma's right, as he was quicker on his feet and used the ruse of being "Starving, nya~!" to justify his rush to claim that chair.

Fuji had opted for the seat adjacent to the youngest male, Tezuka having taken the one directly across. Inui sat himself on Tezuka's other side quietly, Kaidoh waiting patiently on Inui's left with a short hiss. Takashi busied himself with setting out the utensils and water cups before taking one of the last seats available, Oishi following his lead.

"_Itadakimasu_!" the boys chorused.

It was quiet for only a few moments as each male got in their first few bites. A bit too watery, in Takashi's opinion, but Ryoma didn't seem to mind from the way he eagerly chowed down.

"Unyaa, it's too spicy!" Kikumaru complained. "And the sauce isn't thick enough, nya! I thought you were supposed to be a good cook, Takashi!"

Takashi winced, embarrassed smile on his lips as his mind whirled to find a way to right the situation. Saying he thought it tasted fine would make him come across as defensive and obstinate, he believed; features Takashi didn't think Ryoma would appreciate in an older brother. But agreeing to the redhead's complaint would mean admitting to a fault that Takashi had privately thought was one of his best selling points. It was quite underhanded of the redhead to make the first verbal spar; Takashi wasn't prepared to parry. _Bastard_, Takashi inwardly growled.

"Sorry, sorry!" the brunet boy apologized awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck in a fit of nerves. "I'll try to remember you like it mild next time, ne, Eiji?"

"I think it's not spicy enough," Fuji piped in with a smile. "Eiji just has a cat's tongue."

Kikumaru pouted, "Do not~!"

"Curry isn't very nutritious," Inui said solemnly, even as he spooned some into his mouth. After swallowing this bite, he continued on with a slightly happier tone. "Perhaps I will make everyone some vitamin shakes after dinner."

"Can I have strawberry, then?" Ryoma asked.

Inui actually smiled, "Of course." _  
_

"So Ochibi likes strawberries?" Kikumaru mused aloud. "Me too! Have you ever tried real strawberry jam? I made some in Home Ec class last semester; it was soooo tasty, nya!"

Ryoma looked interested, "Do you have any left?"

"I can make you some after we get some strawberries!"

"We should pick fresh ones when it's the right season," Momo suggested, mouth full. Kaidoh looked visibly disgusted by the lack of manners, and said as much when he advised Ryoma not to follow the "idiot-peach's sorry excuse for etiquette." Momo hadn't taken the jibe lightly, standing abruptly and glaring over at the other boy.

"What was that, you stupid snake!"

Kaidoh stood as well, matching his counterpart form for form. Fuji tried not to look too amused as they descended into a verbal fight with dull insults and name-calling. As far as he could tell, they were only making this so much easier for him - already, Ryoma was looking disgruntled by the pair's hissy fit.

None were quite sure how, but this entire little roleplay had turned into some sort of competition for those who were forced in. They had discussed working together to better act as the older brothers Ryoma so coveted, but in the end - it was a competition to see who would win Ryoma's affections. If they got the younger boy to fully trust them and love them whole-heartedly, there was a chance not only for a better life - but maybe even to get released from their contracts.

They were each different, with their own set of strengths and weaknesses - but Fuji could effectively weigh his competitors' worth after their stilted discussions held over the weekend. The reluctant sharing of backgrounds, of interests and ages, of special skills and intelligence; Fuji knew enough about the other boys to tell which would be the most challenging in the competition for the desired position of Ryoma's favorite "brother."

Inui had the calm and analytical skills of a true genius, able to weigh any possible scenario in his mind and manipulate it to his advantage as easily as Fuji could. But he was stiff and cordial in his conduct with others, clearly unused to such a large group and even moreso with the abundance of energy that was the other boys. The professional demeanor of this budding scientist would be detrimental to establishing a relationship with a young boy.

Kawamura was the same; though he was much kinder and warmer than Inui, his smiles held that distantly polite edge learned from countless years of watching his family serve customers with a smile. He could make conversation and adjust easily to those around him but he was isolated in a way he had yet to overcome.

Tezuka, just like the other two, was an only child. Even though he was the cool, charismatic leader-type that made an ideal older brother, he was too cold that it was difficult to make a connection - or even fake one. He was awkward in any role that did not mandate a polite and courteous distance, which made it difficult to build a closer relationship with. As far as Fuji was concerned, Ryoma could come to idolize Tezuka as much as he wanted - but that set up a barrier that made the older boy an ineffective older brother.

As only children, these three didn't know how to properly act with siblings. They had their good points, but this lack of relation made them least viable to get appropriately close to Ryoma. Unfortunately for Fuji, the other boys did not share this disadvantage.

Momo had been an initial cause of worry, being a generally-friendly type that was also pretty touchy-feely. Even though the boy was only used to little sisters, he was quick to adjust and had no concept of personal space. His weakness, however, was his quick temper; Momo was easily-riled. He'd make a good big brother, Fuji could concede - but in terms of what it would take to win Ryoma's ultimate devotion, Fuji wasn't too worried when it came to Momo.

Oishi was every bit as gentle and kind as Kawamura, and unlike the other boy, he was used to caring for a host of younger siblings. However, it appeared that being the only caretaker for his siblings while his parents worked had forced Oishi to assume a more motherly-role - a trait that wasn't easily changed. Fuji could use that to his advantage.

Kaidoh had experience with a younger brother; this had worried Fuji, as the boy - despite his appearance - was actually quite honest and caring. It didn't hurt that he was also fond of animals; Fuji had caught him cooing at Karupin in one of the living rooms before dinner. So long as Momo was around, though, Kaidoh was as quick to anger; the two cancelled out the threat posed by the other quite nicely, in Fuji's opinion.

The blues of Fuji's eyes showed only briefly as his gaze turned to the last 'competitor'. Kikumaru Eiji - Fuji had underestimated him at first. The boy just hadn't stopped his intermittent sobbing throughout the weekend, and it had been hard enough to get decent answers out of the redhead during that time. Now, however - Fuji couldn't help but wonder if it was all just an act.

He knew Kikumaru was the baby in his family; Fuji had thought he wouldn't have to worry about someone as unused to younger siblings as the only-child boys were. But Kikumaru showed a remarkable ability not only to adjust, but also to act; the cheerful demeanor and almost moe-like quality to Kikumaru's act were perfect. The ease at which Kikumaru was able to converse and touch Ryoma was dangerous; he might not be the ideal older brother type, but Kikumaru could prove to be a dangerous dark horse. He could easily turn into Ryoma's confidante, which would put him a step above the others with the level of trust that would imply.

Fuji smiled at him, once the redhead noticed his lingering gaze.

Kikumaru grinned back.

_Winner takes all._

* * *

Ryoma waited until his "older brothers" had finished fretting over him, watching with hawkish eyes as they tentatively split chores amongst each other - he'd been assigned keeping his own room clean - before idling out one by one. Oishi had stammered out a small reminder to go to bed early, as they planned on going to the supermarket first thing in the morning in hopes of beating out the housewife rush-hour that occurred later in the day.

Ryoma had nodded in understanding, although once the last of the older boys had disappeared into their rooms, he padded through the living room and out the front door. No sooner had he stepped out that three men fell into step with him; the one with orange-colored hair took a drag from his cigarette, smile tilting his lips as he glanced back at the house. Wakato Hiroshi was the most rambunctious of Ryoma's bodyguards, but he had natural talent for fighting and bargaining.

"Think it's going to be pretty lively now?" Wakato mused aloud, exhaling a stream of smoke. He opened the door to the black Cadillac parked out by the front gate. The four males climbed inside, Ryoma perched in the middle of the back seat with eyes facing forward, looking utterly bored.

One of his companions - a tall, lean man with short-cropped gray hair - scowled fiercely. "They don't seem very bright. They're obviously just trying to get the Young Master's favor!" Shinjou Reiji sneered. He was the strictest of the three, always quick to reprimand his comrades and intimidate his enemies.

"That's only natural, don't you think?" returned the third man; Kajimoto Takahisa was the calm, level-headed leader of the trio. Ryoma usually relied on him, but he knew the man's tastes left a lot to be desired; he'd heard enough complaints from the brothels his father owned to know Kajimoto had a fascination with just how much pain the human body could endure.

"It doesn't matter," Ryoma dismissed. "As long as they act like how they're supposed to, then there's no problem."

Honestly, he thought the whole lot were rather cute in their attempts to win his favor. He could do with the entertainment.

The drive was longer than they had anticipated, so by the time they reached Nanjiroh's offices, Ryoma was truly annoyed. Why his father couldn't have waited to have this meeting at a later date, he didn't know; the stupid old man was probably just curious about how Ryoma was taking his latest gift.

The boy followed Shinjou into the building, ignoring the secretaries stationed at the front desk as they greeted their small troupe. Filing into the elevator, they were joined by another two men - Sugiyama and Takesue, two men on secretary duty for losing the turf war in one of the smaller prefectures. The Echizen group did not look kindly on cowardice, and Nanjiroh had demanded and entire finger instead of the usual joint to be taken.

Ryuuzaki - the shrewd old woman who had helped to shape Nanjiroh into the successful don he was today - greeted them curtly before motioning them inside the room. Ryoma was the first to enter, lips twisted down as he took in the smell of sex and gunpowder; it seemed his father still hadn't learned that an office was meant for work, not pleasure.

"_Bocchan_," Aoi Hanamura greeted silkily, slowly re-clasping the buttons of her blouse. She was an attractive lady, of that fact there was no doubt - but Ryoma wasn't fond of being civil to gold-digging vixens. He didn't acknowledge her as his golden eyes re-settled on his father, reclined into his office chair with a lazy grin.

"So?" Nanjiroh began excitedly, leaning forward to pin his heir with manic eyes. Ryoma once again wondered how the hell his mother could have lasted ten years with the lunatic. "Do you like them? Aren't they perfect?"

"It's only been six hours," Ryoma scoffed, unimpressed.

Nanjiroh's lips were dragged into an exaggerated pout, "Seishounen! Come on - you like them, right? Now you won't be lonely when Papa gets busy with work!"

Ryoma's deadpan expression was answer enough for that declaration.

"Oh fine," Nanjiroh groaned, rolling his eyes. "And here I thought I'd actually found a decent batch. Brats are always so hard to please!" the man muttered, sifting through his desk drawers before pulling out a cellphone. Ryoma was crossing the room with steady steps, although Nanjiroh hadn't noticed - too busy scrolling through his contacts list for Arai's number.

"Can't believe I already have to put them down after only six hours," Nanjiroh grouched, tapping Arai's name. He blinked when one small hand swiped his cell away, Ryoma ending the call before it even had the chance to get through.

"Like I said, stupid old man," Ryoma started dryly. "It's only been six hours. I still want to see how much fun they'll be."

Nanjiroh blinked, before confusion was replaced by a maddening grin. "You possessive little shit," the man crooned. "You just don't want me to mess with your new toys, do you?"

Ryoma snorted, tossing the cellphone back onto the desk. "They're _mine_, aren't they? I don't need you breaking them."

The boy returned to his bodyguards' side, not even pausing in hesitation as he slipped a hand around Kajimoto's midsection. The man stilled but wisely did not move, allowing the child's fingers to slide around to the back and deftly retrieve his gun. "And just so you know, I hate these little tests," Ryoma added bitingly.

"Gotta keep you in top form, seishounen," Nanjiroh chuckled.

Ryoma checked the bullets and cocked the firearm, glancing over at his father with bored eyes. "Which?" he asked.

Nanjiroh smiled beautifically, "Both."

Barely a beat passed before Ryoma had aimed and pulled the trigger; Sugiyama was knocked back a step by the blow, blood splattering across the wall as the bullet entered through the cavity of his chest and exited just next to his shoulder blades. Ryoma didn't pause as he turned the gun on Takesue, pulling the trigger again - the man had frozen at the sudden execution of his comrade, so the shot cleanly entered his left eye and with a splatter of blood and exploded parietal bone, exited from the back.

Ryoma sighed, lowering his weapon. He never had liked Mondays.

* * *

**"Life is nothing but a competition to be the criminal rather than the victim."**

_Bertrand Russell_

* * *

**A/N**: Yeah, this isn't going to be one of those heart-warming family stories. -evil smile-

_Note 1_) As far as the Seigaku boys are concerned - they're stuck in an unofficial competition with each other. Each wants to be Ryoma's favorite for their own reasons, and they'll play any role Ryoma wants to do so. They are _not_ friends, they are barely even allies; they are just concerned for their continued survival. _This_ will be an important dynamic for the first arc.

Any questions? Review! Criticisms? REVIEW. Opinions? Pairing preferences? Predictions? REVIEW~! I love to hear from readers! :)

_So..._

_**Kindly drop a review**_.


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